Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information providing system. More particularly, this invention relates to an information management apparatus capable of reliable management of distributed information and an information providing system employing the same information management apparatus. The information management apparatus comprises a main information reproducing means for reproducing main information recorded in a given recording medium; and a reproduction management means for managing the main information reproducing means for reproducing the main information. The present invention provides a receiving means provided with a means for recording distributed information and control information limiting the number of main information reproducing cycles on a recording medium, and a main information reproducing means provided with a reproduction disabling means for limiting the reproduction of main information.

Abstract: A giant magneto-resistive effect element (1) comprises a lamination layer film (2) including a ferromagnetic film and wherein a nonmagnetic film and an antiferromagnetic film, the ferromagnetic film includes a magnetization free layer (13) and a magnetization fixed layer, a current is restricted by an upper electrode and a lower electrode in such a manner that the current may flow in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of the lamination layer film (2), the lamination layer film (2) is laminated including a high-resistance layer (21), a hard magnetic film (3) made of a conductive hard magnetic material and an insulating layer (4) are directly bonded to respective outsides of this lamination layer film (2) along its width direction and this hard magnetic film (3) is shifted from the high-resistance layer (21) and bonded near the magnetization free layer (13).

Abstract: A disk is moved between disk cartridges without being in touch with the disk. Therefore, movement of the disk between the disk cartridges is carried out via a disk holder. Further, when the disk is moved between the disk cartridges, disk information of the cartridge is also moved simultaneously. Accordingly, the disk information held by the disk cartridge is provided at a disk holder portion and the disk information can be read by other disk device. Further, the disk holder is provided with a region representing information of the disk. When it is made to be a label region, in moving the disk between the disk cartridges, also the disk information held by the disk holder can simultaneously be moved. Further, even when the disk cartridge incorporates the disk, the content of the disk can easily be recognized via the disk holder. Further, a user can arbitrarily write or erase content of the disk to or from the label region, the disk is recognized easily and easiness of use is considerably promoted.

Abstract: A recording disk having a recording medium and a memory assembly which is disposed in an annular or spiral form at a certain position on the disk. The memory assembly which a memory which stores information, a signal processor which writes or reads out information to/from the memory, a transmitter-receiver for transacting information with an exterior of the disk, a controller which controls the memory, signal processor and transmitter-receiver, a receiver which receives power in the form of a signal supplied from an exterior of the disk for the operation of the memory, signal processor, transmitter-receiver and controller, and a rectifier converts the signal received by the receiver into power. The memory, signal processor, controller, rectifier, and transmitter-receiver and/or receiver are at least partially formed of a semiconductor integrated circuit and at least portions of the memory, signal processor and controller are covered with light-blocking resin.

Abstract: A beam shutter is provided which comprises a plane-parallel birefringent element for separation arranged to separate input light beams having orthogonal polarization directions on the same optical path; a plane-parallel birefringent element for synthesis arranged to synthesize light beams having orthogonal polarization directions on different optical paths, for output; the birefringent element for separation and the birefringent element for synthesis being disposed in a spaced apart relationship; and polarization rotating means having a variable Faraday rotator, the polarization rotating means interposed between the birefringent element for separation and the birefringent element for synthesis, for magneto-optically controlling the polarization directions; wherein transmission and interruption of output light beams are controlled by switching the polarization directions by means of the variable Faraday rotator.

Abstract: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium and having an opening portion for enabling a recording and/or reproducing operation by a recording and/or reproducing device includes a disk cartridge main body and a disk holder which is detachably mountable to the disk cartridge main body. The disk holder is mountable to the disk cartridge main body along with the disk-shaped recording medium, the disk holder is constituted by a structure which is detachable to outside of the disk cartridge main body along with the disk-shaped recording medium, and the disk holder includes a pair of resilient and deformable disk holding members for holding an outer periphery of the disk-shaped recording medium.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus such as an optical disc that can avoid an unrecordable condition between a power-on operation and an available state for recording thereby to solve a problem that an image taking chance is missed in a recording step, wherein its constitution is such that: receiving a command to turn on the apparatus after switching, a system controller drives a power-supply circuit to activate a drive controller and a memory controller; if the optical disc is not replaced while in power-off operation by a sub-battery, the system controller issues a request for high-speed activation, based on information stored in an EEPROM, to the drive controller, and drives plural drive control units one after another thereby to establish an activation period confirmedly, allowing the memory controller to accept a request for a recording start from the system controller without waiting for a report of activation completion to be issued by the drive controller.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to improve an operability of an image information recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus. A shot place extraction means 6 is established so that the means 6 can extract a shot place proposed by referring a map information 5 corresponding to a shot position on the map, and furthermore a shot object extraction means 7 is establishes to that the means 7 can extract a shot object proposed by referring the map information 5 corresponding to the shot object on the map based on the shot position, a distance between the shot position and the shot object, and a direction from the shot position to the shot object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus which can produce a color and sensitivity mosaic image which can be converted into a color image signal having a wide dynamic range by performing a predetermined image process.

Abstract: A disc cartridge for receiving a disc-like recording medium therewithin, including a disc insertion and removal port provided in the disc cartridge and being capable of inserting and removing the recording medium, the disc cartridge having an insertion and removal port opening and closing member. A disc insertion and removal port being closed by the insertion and removal port opening and closing member when the recording medium is within said disc cartridge. The recording medium being capable of being taken out from the cartridge together with the insertion and removal port opening and closing member when the recording medium is taken out and the disc cartridge having an insertion and removal history recognizing portion of said recording medium.

Abstract: A disc device in which recording is possible in a basic recording area in units of a subarea and startable at any position. Even if the recording cannot help stopping due to some external cause during recording on a disc-type recording medium that basically employs real-time sequential recording, the recording is re-openable at the position where the recording stopped when the external cause has disappeared. The disc device includes a reference clock counter that starts to count at the starting point of each basic recording area reference clocks read from the disc, and an address memory that holds an address of the basic recording area under recording. When the recording is stopped due to some external cause, the count of the counter and the address held by the address memory at that time are saved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which suppresses appearance of a color moire of a color image signal of a wide dynamic range which is produced using an image signal acquired using, for example, a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like.

Abstract: The shopping server provides an online shopping service with retrieving information of items handled, relations among the items, user's purchase history, user's request, and the like via the internet or the intrafirm network. The shopping server generates electronic catalogs personalized for each user based on the retrieved information so as to show useful and helpful information to each user. The catalogs are categorized in accordance with the purposes. Some of the categories are fulfilled by the automatic entry in accordance with the item relations or the user's purchase through the online shopping service, while the others are fulfilled by the user's arbitrary designation. The shopping server presents the generated catalogs to the users via the internet, so that the categories are switchable and customizable by the user.

Abstract: An information recording technique which, even when an interruption of recording operation takes, place for some reasons, can make the most of the features of a recording medium and can record data on the medium with a good reliability. This can be realized by changing abnormality judging conditions according to the type of the recording medium and changing record resuming conditions after the interruption of the recording operation.

Abstract: A disk cartridge main body configured to fit into a disk holder of a disk cartridge having another disk cartridge main body for incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium. The another disk cartridge main body has an opening portion for enabling a recording and/or reproducing operation by a recording and/or reproducing device. The disk holder is detachably mountable to the another disk cartridge main body. The opening portion is provided in the another disk cartridge main body and the opening portion is closed by a shutter arranged at the another disk cartridge main body such that the disk-shaped recording medium is shielded from outside by the shutter when the disk cartridge is outside of the recording and/or reproducing device.

Abstract: Because a series of data is recorded continuously, the recording quality of data recorded in course of recording cannot be evaluated. Accordingly, the laser output cannot be controlled properly and there are a deterioration and dispersion of the recording quality. Further, when the recording lasts for a long time, the temperature in the vicinity of laser rises due to the heat from the inside of a disc drive and the recording quality is deteriorated.

Abstract: In an information recording apparatus, for conducting finalizing process on a removable recording medium with certainty, on which information is recorded in an easy format contained within a portable equipment in real-time manner, wherein the finalizing process is executed (steps 102, 103 and 104) when a predetermined amount of capacity remains in a battery 22, or when an external electric power source is connected to (20), depending upon a disc recording medium 32. Also, providing electric power saving (37) during time-period of this process and means (16) for inhibition of camera operation, for stoppage on a way and for re-recording, realizes the certain finalizing process. Further, a means is provided for conducting that process at high speed. Therefore, the finalizing process can be achieved with stability even in a portable equipment.

Abstract: An optical circulator comprises a first birefringent element for separation and synthesis; a first polarization rotation block; a circulator function block; a second polarization rotation block; and a second birefringent element for separation and synthesis; the circulator function block includes a first birefringent element for optical path control; a second birefringent element for optical path control which shifts the optical paths depending on the polarization directions and which has twice the optical path shifting amount of the first birefringent element for optical path control; and a ¼ wave plate and a reflector allowing light beams along peripheral optical paths to bypass and acting on only light beams along central optical paths.

Abstract: A beam shutter is provided which comprises a plane-parallel birefringent element for separation arranged to separate input light beams having orthogonal polarization directions on the same optical path; a plane-parallel birefringent element for synthesis arranged to synthesize light beams having orthogonal polarization directions on different optical paths, for output; the birefringent element for separation and the birefringent element for synthesis being disposed in a spaced apart relationship; and polarization rotating means having a variable Faraday rotator, the polarization rotating means interposed between the birefringent element for separation and the birefringent element for synthesis, for magneto-optically controlling the polarization directions; wherein transmission and interruption of output light beams are controlled by switching the polarization directions by means of the variable Faraday rotator.